Todd Jones, former director of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco and Firearms will join the NFL as a special counsel for conduct, according to Adam Schefter of ESPN. Jones will share the disciplinary role with Lisa Friel, the former New York District Attorney’s office sex crimes prosecutor. Friel was named NFL special counsel for investigations, according to Schefter.
NFL reportedly set to hire 2 conduct czars
The league will have Todd Jones in charge of personal conduct punishments and Lisa Friel in charge of investigations.
Kyle Terada-USA TODAY Sports
We already knew about Friel's involvement in the league's investigation into Dallas Cowboys defensive end Greg Hardy. Shortly after Hardy's case was dismissed in February, it was made clear that he could still be punished by the league but it's unclear where Friel's investigation stands at this point.
Jones will be in charge of implementing the personal conduct policy while Friel will handle the investigations, according to Schefter. Both appointments were promised by commissioner Roger Goodell to the owners in December.
The league's policies on personal conduct and punishment for violations of them have always seemed somewhat fluid, and that's been a rallying point for the NFL Players Association when Goodell has handed out punishment in the past. When the Ray Rice situation was still happening, the league handed out one punishment, retracted said punishment and handed out another when video of the incident came out, which drew plenty of criticism.
That’s not the only incident, but it is a good example of why the league needs more qualified people in place to handle investigations and punishment in a more professional and accountable manner. These appointments would seem to directly address those concerns.
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